Wagon end-gate.



R. L. TEMPLEMAN.

WAGON END GATE.

APPLIOATION rum MAR. s, 190s.

904,8 1 8 Patented N ov. 24.-, 1908.

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ROBERT L. TEMPLEMAN, OF RUBY, VIRGINIA.

WAGON END-GATE.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 6, 1908.

Patented. Nov. 24, 1908.

Serial No. 419,425.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, -Ronnn'r L. TEMPLE- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ruby, in the county of Statler-d and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in fragen End-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to new and useful improvements in wagon end gates, and has for its object to provide a gate that is adapted to be used on all kinds of wagons, carts, and other things that require a similar device and is so constructed that it retains itself in place and at the same time prevents the body from spreading when an excessive strain is brought to bear on the sides thereof.

Heretofore the body of a wagon having end gates was weakened as a result of not having a sutlicient support, at its rear end, and oftentimes has been known to spread. I therefore have invented a gate that will overcome this obstacle, making the wagon body as secure and strong at that point as at any other.

Another object of my invention is to securely lock the gate in place, that is, against vertical movement.

W'ith these and other objects in view my invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of its parts, as are hereinafter described in the following speciica-' tion, and are specifically pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawings, which form a part of this specification, and which are for illustrative purposes only and are therefore not drawn to scale Figure 1 is a rear view of my wagon end gate, the dotted lines showing the position of handle, when gate is unlocked. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the gate, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the gate on the line 3, 3 of Fig. 1, looking down, showing the handle in position, end portions of the gate broken away.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the gate 1 is provided with the eccentric 2, pivotally mounted at its central portion near its upper edge, by means of a bolt. Connected to said eccentric near its outer edges are arms 3, which are in turn connected to the upper ends of the hook-locks 4, said hook-locks being mounted pivotally near the right and left hand edges of the gate, by means of nut and bolt connections 5, or any other commonly known means.

Secured to the inner surface of the walls G,

of the wagon body 7, are vertically disposed strips 8 and 9, so arranged as to leave a recess 10, wherein slides the said end gate.

Cut in the inner side of the said vertical strips S, are vertical. recesses l1, wherein the said hook-locks engage when the gate is locked to the said body of the wagon.

(lut in the center of the plates l2, are elongated holes 13, which register at their lower and side walls with said recesses, but fall short of registering with the upper walls of said recesses thus leaving a portion of the plate exposed from behind, whereon engages the hooked portion of the said hook-lock.

Running through said strips S, and said side walls of said wagon body are bolts 15, for the purpose of securing together the metal reinforcing plate 1G, said side walls, said strips 8, and said plates, said bolts being riveted at either end.

The handle 17 of the said eccentric is preferably made of steel, being a resilient material. `When the said gate is locked in position, as shown in Fig. 1, the said handle passes over the lug 18, and is securely held to the left thereof by its own pressure. So that the handle may not in time work itself under the lug, said lug is provided with projection 19, which extends into recess 20, and lits therein.

Referring again to the rods, each rod is connected to the edge of said eccentric, which is farthest away from the respective hook-lock to which each rod is connected.

It is pointed out that by this arrangement.

the said eccentric is caused to assume al dead center when the hook-locks are in locked position. The free end of the said lug is enlarged so that the spring handle is prevented from riding over the said lug in case of a sudden jar.

Although I` have described my invention, I reserve the right to make such alterations and changes as will fall within the scope and not depart from the spirit of my invention, and which will be obviously necessary in the manufacture of the saine.

That I claim is In a device of the character described, the combination with a wagon body of an end gate, vertically disposed strips S and 9, secured to the inner surface of the side walls of said wagon body and so arranged as to leave a recess between them to allow for the vertical movement of the end gate, each of the said vertically disposed strips S, having gg sessie a vertical recess cut in its inner side above its center, an eccentric pivotally mounted on said end gate at its central portion, near its top, hook-locks pivotally mounted near the outer edges at the top of said end gate, arms connected at their outer ends to their respective hook-locks, and at their inner ends to the sides of the eccentric which are farthest away from the respective hooklocls, thus causing said eccentric to assume a dead center when said hook-locks are in a locked position, said eccentric and said arms being the means by which said hook-locks are actuated, plates having elongated holes cut in their center which register at their lower and side walls with said recesses, but fall short of registering with the upper walls of -said recesses, leaving a portion of the plate exposed from behind, whereon the hooked portion or the hook-lock engages, said hook-locks, when hooked behind said plates, preventing the gate from having a vertical or horizontal movement, and preventing the wagon body from spreading when under a strain, bolts and plates, said bolts running through said plates, said side walls of said wagon body said vertical strips and the plates 12, and riveted at either end to hold the same securely together, a springhandle extending downwardly from said eccentric, a lug secured at one of its ends to said end gate and at the lower central portion thereof, and being provided at the other end with an inwardly projecting extension and an enlarged portion, said extension projecting into a recess cut in the end gate at that point, said spring-handle riding over and beyond said lug when said hook-locks are in locked position, said inwardly projecting extension of said lug preventing said spring-handle from working under said lug, the enlarged portion of said lug preventing said spring-handle from working over said lug, when it is desired to hold said hooklocizs in locked position, said hook-locks being adapted to be unlocked by drawing said spring-handle away from its normal position and causing it to ride over the enlarged portion of said lug, substantially as shown and described.

n testimony whereof I atlix myv signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT L. TEMPLEMAN. ltnesses B. P. VVILLrs, BENJ. PURvIs. 

